What relevant experience do you have to perform your current role?

I am a GP in West Sussex. In the last 7-8 years, I have been working as a clinical lead for the local CCG, initially for dementia, which later broadened to all of adult mental health. For the last 3-4 years, I have also been working as an NHSE clinical lead for Dementia in the Kent, Surrey and Sussex region, which later expanded to a role across the South East of England. Thus, besides being on the front line of mental health demand as a GP, I have also been intimately involved in the planning and delivery of local services and the opportunities for improving care.

What excites you about working at South East Mental Health Team?

This role has a greater strategic focus, as opposed to my previous roles. This will enable interaction with the national teams, especially around the Dementia and the Physical Health checks for Serious Mental Illness (P-SMI) programmes, with a chance to influence strategy while ensuring that front line challenges are raised in appropriate forums and learning is shared.

What difference are you making to improve the care and health outcomes of patients or members of the public?

The SE Mental Health Team has already initiated a fantastic programme of engagement around the P-SMI programme, with local mental health systems in the Integrated Care Systems (ICS) – I will build on this programme, to achieve improvements in front line patient care and reach national targets. For dementia, the South East is gradually improving it’s trajectory to recovery of the national target around the Dementia Diagnosis Rates. I will promote the need for greater identification of dementia and also provision of appropriate post diagnostic support, for this most frail cohort of our population.